Gundam Wing Fan Fiction ❯ What Matters Most ❯ Meeting the Master ( Chapter 3 )

[ Y - Young Adult: Not suitable for readers under 16 ]

What Matters Most
By: Lady Sapphire

Disclaimers: I wanna own Gundam Wing!!! But I don't, so you can't sue me!
Author's note: First of all, I want to thank everyone who reviewed me. Thanks!!! Finally got this chapter out! Took me quite a while, but this chapter's kinda long…anyway enjoy!
Warning: There is mention of rape at the end of this chapter. If you are uncomfortable with the topic, I will put a warning before the scene comes, so you can stop reading. I do not want to be responsible for offending anybody. But, honestly, it's barely anything at all. Nothing too serious happens, so I really suggest you read it to the end to understand the whole story.

Chapter 3: Meeting the Master

*Knock, knock, knock*
Heero knocked on the door to his brother's room. While he waited for an answer, his mind drifted back…

He walked down the corridors in silence, guilty of hitting that girl. The girl who had so boldly spoken to him. He didn't even turn around to see if she was following, but he knew that she was at quite some distance apart. He couldn't blame her. He regretted his actions the second he slapped her. 'Why did I do that for?' he asked himself quietly, staring at his right hand. He had hit her so hard that even his own hand was a pinkish colour and generating strange warmth. 'Well, she deserved it! No one, let alone a servant, has /ever/ raised their voice at me. But, why don't I feel angry? I actually feel sorry for her! Maybe I did go too far. Maybe I shouldn't have made up that rule, and maybe I shouldn't have said those cruel things about servants, and then slapped her. Still… I had to trust my instincts. But what if Duo was right? What if she isn't a spy, but really a poor, innocent girl, who had just lost her only means of family and just needs a friend? I don't know for sure, but I have to find out!'

"Who's there?" said a voice.
Heero cleared his mind and answered in a monotonous voice, "It's me, Mark. Open up. I brought you your new servant."
The tall man with sea blue eyes opened the door and frowned at his brother, but he quickly recovered by plastering a fake smile on his face and saying, "Thank you, dear brother. How kind of you to go through all that trouble just to bring her to me." He glanced at Relena and looked slightly shocked as well at her sudden change in appearance. That will be all, brother. You may leave, or… would you prefer to stay?" he asked, narrowing his eyes.
Heero death glared his brother, mumbled, "I'm busy," and left.
"Well, come in, umm… what is your name again?" he asked in a disgustingly sweet voice.
"Relena, Sir," she curtsied and entered the room.
Mark Yuy's room was neat, tidy, and organized, the way one would expect his room to be. The room had a bed, a desk and chairs, several closets, and a bookshelf filled with all types of books. It had a window with a breath-taking view of the enormous flower garden and the room was carpeted with the finest carpets. Relena just gazed in awe for a few moments. None of the rooms she'd lived in before could ever compare to this, in size or in beauty. Not even if all of her rooms were combined together!
While Relena was admiring his room, Mark was circling Relena like a hawk, eyeing her from head to toe, and grinning idiotically. 'Wow, she is /hot/! With my good looks and charm, I'm sure to win her heart. Who could refuse me? I've got money, power, and looks. No girl has ever turned me down. This girl is a sure thing!' he assured himself with a smug look on his face. His eyes continued to wander until they stopped on something very noticeable: her left cheek was glowing red. He reached out and gently ran his finger across her cheek. She winced in pain and backed away.
"Who hit you?" he growled at her, "Who dares hit a servant of Mark Yuy? Tell me at once and that person shall be punished."
Bemused by his sudden outburst, she stammered, "N-n-no one, Sir. It was my own fault. I thought I felt a fly on my cheek, so I slapped myself, but it was only a strand of hair. As if to prove her point, she tucked a lose strand of hair behind her ear. She knew she sounded lame, but that was the only excuse she could come up with at that time.
"Oh?" Mark responded in a sickeningly high tone, "You hit yourself? Well then, you must have a pretty strong arm because your cheek is throbbing, or you must really hate flies!" he chuckled. Relena stood still, staring at the floor. She could feel her cheeks burn up again from embarrassment and she knew that they must have been beet red, but of course, he wouldn't be able to notice it anyway. "Sir, if you don't mind, I'd like to get started with my duties now," she reminded him timidly, changing the subject.
"Your duties? Oh, I forgot! Well, there really isn't any thing for you to do today," he replied thoughtfully.
*Dong, dong, dong*
The clock struck noon.
"Oh darn! I'm late for lunch," he cried out as he scooted Relena out the door and locked his room. "All servants eat lunch at one. After, I would like you to take the rest of the afternoon off. Get some rest and do get some medication for that cheek of yours. It must be painful," he smirked and scurried down the hallway.
"Thank you… I think," said a confused Relena after he was out of sight. She started walking in the other direction to her room. As she walked, she pondered at a question that had been bugging her, 'Why was he so nice to me? From the impression of his ignorant brother, I thought he would yell and scream at me, but he didn't. Instead, he stood up for me! Those two sure don't act like brothers!' She smiled at the thought, but the pain from her cheek forced her to frown. 'Ow!' she complained, 'Why did I just lie for that creep anyway? Why couldn't I just have told him that it was his brother's doing, and then he would have been in trouble?' She sighed, 'No, I couldn't do that. I couldn't get him in trouble no matter how cruel he was. I don't know why, but there's something about him that tells me that he really isn't all that bad. He's just…confused.' Relena hoped her prediction was correct, for her sake. 'Besides I wouldn't want to be the one to cause two brothers to fight, that just wouldn't be right. I believe that brothers are not supposed to fight and that they are supposed to be loving and caring for each other,' she paused, 'Just like my brother was for me.' She recalled his final wishes to live a full and happy life. 'Milliardo, why did you have to leave me? Why did you have to go ahead without me? I miss you so much!' She could feel the water forming in her eyes again, but she just wiped them away. 'Relena, you've cried enough! Crying never solved anything, so stop it!' she reprimanded herself mentally. 'Still, those two are lucky to have a brother, even though they are completely different from each other! Master Heero is a jerk who discriminates everybody and Master Mark is sweet and cares for others who are of a lower class than himself. But, Master Heero just… intrigues somehow. He has something that Master Mark doesn't, something that I can't describe, something that sparked my interest from the beginning.' She groaned as her brain began to pound as she racked it for a word to describe Master Heero. She rubbed her forehead gingerly and decided to give it up and to rest for a while, of at least her headache had calmed down.

He had seen and heard the whole conversation. Heero, keeping true to his word of keeping a close eye on Relena, had stood outside the door and eavesdropped the entire exchange between his brother and Relena. Now he was walking towards the dining room in disbelief. 'Why…why did she do that? Why did she just lie for me? Even after the way I treated her?' he asked himself. He really felt sorry for his actions now. 'Maybe Duo is right; maybe I was just being paranoid. But how can I know for sure? I mean, for all I know, she could be in disguise, just waiting for the perfect time to strike.' He pondered the possibility and declared that it was reasonable. He made up his mind, 'I will keep watching her for any suspicious movements. Until she can somehow prove to be otherwise, then I will accept her presence. But, if I ever meet her face to face again, I swear I will not harm her anymore,' he declared. His guilty conscience silently forced him to swear this oath for he did not want to rupture it. Then another question hit him, 'what kind of idiot can't realize that Relena had told a lie? Who in their right mind would believe that someone would slap oneself so hard that it would leave a bruise in the morning?' he sighed and shook his head at the truth, 'Mark would. He always gets distracted around women.' He remembered how he had looked at Relena and was overcome by another strange and confusing emotion. He felt anger and sadness, and a sudden urge to beat up his brother. It was a bewildering feeling that he had never felt before. 'Why would be angry with Mark for simply looking at a new servant?' he asked himself. He shrugged, 'Maybe I need a rest too, but after I think of a way to make it up to Relena,' and with that last thought he entered the dining room, late and guilty.
"Rel! Oh my God, I'm so sorry! I totally forgot about you! So did you find your way without getting lost?" asked Hilde frantically.
"Yeah, no thanks to you!" replied Relena teasingly.
It was 1:15 and Relena had just met Hilde for lunch in the kitchen, where all the other servants ate.
"Well, I was late you know! Punctuality is very important in this house," said Hilde self-assuredly, taking a bite out of her ham sandwich.
"But, if you had shown me where his chambers were in the first place, then we wouldn't have been late, now would we?" pointed out Relena, "Instead, you insisted that you show me the whole house first!" she finished with a triumphant bite out of her apple.
"Fine, fine, you win," Hilde said indifferently as she waved it off, "Anyway, who showed you the way?"
"Well, Duo had guard duty today, so he also had to run. So, Master Heero offered to help. He didn't seem too happy about it, though…" she mumbled softly.
"Drop it. Master Heero is always like that. He's anti-social, in case you haven't noticed yet. You'll get used to it," stated Hilde coolly and continued munching away on her sandwich.
'He didn't seem "anti-social" to me when he lectured me on that silly rule,' she thought. "Say, Hilde, is there such a rule that states servants are not to speak unless spoken too?"
Hilde paused eating and looked at her curiously, "Not to my knowledge. Why?"
"Oh nothing. Just checking," she replied calmly. 'I thought so!'
Hilde shrugged and took a sip out of her soda. Suddenly, she spit out her soda, spraying it everywhere, luckily, not on anyone. She started coughing and choking.
Relena quickly patted her back, trying to calm her friend down. "Hilde! What happened?"
"Rel…*cough*…Relen…*cough cough*…Relena! Who…*cough*…did that to…*cough*…your face?" managed Hilde. Relena continued to rub her back until she was under control.
"You mean this?" inquired Relena, pointing to her left cheek, "Would you believe me if I told you that I slapped myself?"
"No."
"Well, that's what happened. Believe it or not, I slapped myself because I was trying to kill a fly."
"Relena, that is the stupidest excuse I have ever heard! Who ever heard of someone slapping him or herself so hard that it would leave a bruise? I think not! Come on, Relena tell me! I'm your best friend and friends shouldn't keep secrets from each other. If you tell me, then maybe I can help you," pleaded Hilde.
Relena thought about it and decided to give in; since she knew her stubborn friend would never surrender. "Alright, I'll tell you, but you have to promise not to tell anybody, okay?"
"Fine," grumbled Hilde.
"Let's go outside first," suggested Relena as she got up to leave the kitchen. Hilde followed behind. Once they were out of the kitchen, Relena said, "The person who hit me was…" she whispered Heero's name into Hilde's ear.
"WHAT?! I DON'T' BELIEVE IT!!!" shouted Hilde. Other servants passing by stopped to gawk at the commotion.
"Shhh… not so loud!" Relena hissed back and dragged Hilde to another spot.
" How can that be? I've been working here for seven years now and I've never seen Master Heero hit anybody. Well, maybe except Duo, but that's a different story. Why did he do it anyway? What did you do that might have upset him?"
"How about standing up for what I believe in? He was bad-mouthing servants and I couldn't take it any more, so I gave him a piece of my mind. He gave me a palm."
"INJUSTICE!!! This is injustice, I tell ya! Why I outta…" yelled Hilde, rolling up her sleeves. Again, passing servants stopped to watch her outward display of anger.
"Hilde, would you cool down and shut up so I can explain?" said Relena, exasperatedly, "You're drawing a bit too much attention."
"Oops, sorry."
Relena dragged her friend to, yet again, another area. "Anyway, Hilde, there's nothing you can do about it so just forget it. No one would believe us. Just think about it."
"I guess your right. But it's so unfair…"fumed Hilde.
"Life's unfair. But you know what I told Master Mark? I told him that I slapped myself trying to terminate a fly."
"YOU DID WHAT?!?! Why did you lie for him?" screamed Hilde.
"As crazy as it may sound, I did not want to see him in trouble. I don't want to hurt those two brothers in any way. I don't know why, but I feel a strong connection between them. I know it sounds weird, but that's the truth."
Hilde just shook her head in disbelief, "Have anyone ever told you, you're way too nice for your own good?"
She shrugged and grinned, "Yeah, once or twice before. Anyway, Hilde, we can't do anything about it. The damage is done. I'll just have to be more careful next time, I guess. Remember, you promised not to tell anyone…" Relena dangerously warned her friend once more.
"Yeah, yeah, yeah, I won't tell anyone," said Hilde, wearily. But then, she put on a pleading look and asked, "Not even Duo?"
"NO! He's a friend of Master Heero and even though I haven't known him for very long, I already know that he is one who can't keep a secret for very long," replied Relena, giggling.
"Yup! That sounds like Duo all right! In fact, he couldn't keep a secret to save his life!" agreed Hilde and both girls cracked up. When the laughing had died down, Hilde managed to get out, "Okay, I promise I won't tell Duo!"
"Good, because I would have to kill you if you did!" Relena jokingly replied.
Hilde glanced at her watch. "Listen, Relena, I've gotta go now. Can't be late again, now can I? Where do you go next? Do I have to show you the way so you don't get lost and blame me?" asked Hilde, teasing her back.
"Humph. I won't get lost!" scowled Relena. "Okay, maybe a little off-track, but not lost!"
"Sure, whatever!"
"Really! Anyway, I'm heading to my room next, since I have the afternoon off."
"Lucky! You must have made one heck of a first impression!" grinned Hilde.
"Oh quit it, Hilde! Master Mark probably felt sorry for me, that's why he told me to rest."
"He sure is treating you better than Master Heero did," commented Hilde. "Crap, I'm due at the Mistress' chamber in five minutes. Bye, Relena, talk to you later! Enjoy your afternoon! Oh yeah, dinner's at eight, got it?"
"See you then!" Relena called out as Hilde sped off and the two girls went their separate ways.
Relena entered her new, sun-lit room. All the servants had the same kind of rooms. These rooms were small and plain, unlike the rooms of the Masters. It had a small bed in one corner, a very antique-looking closet in the other, and a pretty worn down desk and chair against the wall. Beside the desk was a narrow, framed window, which had a view of the gorgeous flower garden. The floor was carpeted, but with a cheap kind of carpeting that was torn in some places. Relena couldn't complain. To her, this was as close to luxury she could get. 'At least, it's better than the "house" that I used to live in. If you could even call that a house,' she thought to herself.
Carefully, she entered the room and began exploring. She noticed how long this room hadn't been used. There was dust everywhere and cobwebs hung from every corner of the ceiling. Approaching the desk, she dragged a slender finger across it. Wherever she touched, the dust was removed and clung on to her finger. "I guess I have a little cleaning to do," she said to herself, blowing the dust of her finger. She then strolled over to the closet. She slowly ran her fingers over the intricate designs on the closet doors. Grabbing the handles, she prepared herself in case of any surprises, like, say, a bunch of killer spiders? Nervously, she flung open the doors, shut her eyes, and jumped to one side. Slowly she opened her eyes to see… nothing. Nothing but dust, dust, and more dust. The dust drifted out and she began to cough. Hastily, she closed the closet shut. Waving the dust away, she quickly ran to the other side of the room. 'Man, this room is ancient!' she thought, 'Maybe I do need a rest, all this dust is making me nauseous.' She headed for the bed and sat on the mattress. She almost fell in! It was quite clear that this mattress had lost some springs over the years. She struggled to stand and when she did, she turned and frowned at the bed. "Now what? How am I going to get some sleep with a bed that acts like quicksand?" she asked to no one in particular.
Just then, she heard a faint sound coming from just outside her room. When she listened closer, she could identify the sound… giggling? Who could be laughing at her?
"Come on out, Hilde, I know it's you. Stop kidding around and help me!" called out Relena, arms crossed over her chest.
The giggling stopped. After a while, a figure slowly and timidly emerged from the door. It wasn't Hilde! Instead it was that little girl, Rosabelle Yuy. She looked as if she was about to cry.
Relena immediately came to her side, trying to soothe her. "Forgive me, Small Mistress. I did not know it was you. I'm so sorry," she said softly, kneeling to receive a punishment.
Rosabelle looked at Relena thoughtfully and shook her head. "No, actually I should be the one to apologize. I shouldn't have spied and then laughed at you. I'm sorry, Miss Relena."
Relena just stared intently at her, taken aback by her words. 'Did I hear correctly? Did she just apologize to me? Impossible! I must have heard wrong!' she thought. "Pardon?" she asked.
"I said I'm sorry," repeated Rosabelle.
Surprise and confusion filled her face. "I thought there was a rule against apologizing to servants," she murmured.
"Yes," informed Rosabelle, "Actually, no, not really against, though. It says that I do not have to apologize if I don't want to and something about having the right to choose, but I want to apologize. Why shouldn't I apologize if I did something wrong? Servants are people too, so why shouldn't they be treated as such? I just don't understand it."
Relena was stunned. This girl, this five-year-old girl, had the exact same ideals as herself that no one else could understand. It was unbelievable! She could tell that they were going to get along very well. "Small Mistress, tell me, who gave you this idea?"
"No one. I thought of it myself. Why can't we all just be equal?" asked Rosabelle.
"Because the world is too ignorant to realize equality, but I believe one day, my dream will come true and we could live in a world where serving people do not exist and everyone lives as equals," said Relena, with a far away look in her eyes, but then, popping back into reality, she said grimly, "But it won't happen. Not this century, anyway."
"Yes it will! I believe in it and so should you! It will come true if you believe," cried Rosabelle, and they smiled at each other.
Relena stood up and dusted her knees. "So, Small Mistress, what brings you here?"
"Mommy said that you could sing for me later, and so I was wondering, could later be now? Or did I come at a bad time? I really liked your singing.
"Of course, I'll sing for you!" exclaimed Relena, grinning, "Now, let's just find you a place to sit…" She glanced around and eyed the bed. "Oops, better not sit on the bed, or it might eat you up!" laughed Relena, pulling out the chair for the Small Mistress.
Rosabelle laughed along with her. "I could tell mommy to get you a new bed, if you wanted me to," she offered, taking a seat.
"That would be great! Now, would you like to hear the same song again, or would you rather hear a different one?" asked Relena.
"Definitely a different one!" Rosabelle exclaimed, eagerly.
"Okay," Relena said and pondered which song she should choose. She decided to go with this one:

"This is a story about a girl named Lucky…
Early morning, she wakes up.
Knock, knock, knock on the door.
It's time for make up, perfect smile.
It's you they're all waiting for.
They go…
"Isn't she lovely, this Hollywood girl"
And they say…

She's so lucky, she's a star
But she cry, cry, cries in her lonely heart.
Thinking, if there's nothing missing in my life,
Then why do these tears come at night?

Lost in an image, in a dream,
But there's no one there to wake her up.
And the world is spinning, and she keeps on winning.
But tell me, what happens when it stops?
They go…
"Isn't she lovely, this Hollywood girl"
And they say…

She's so lucky, she's a star
But she cry, cry, cries in her lonely heart.
Thinking, if there's nothing missing in my life,
Then why do these tears come at night?

Isn't she lucky, this Hollywood girl?
She is so lucky, but why does she cry?
If there is nothing missing in her life,
Why do these tears come at night?

She's so lucky, she's a star
But she cry, cry, cries in her lonely heart.
Thinking, if there's nothing missing in my life,
Then why do these tears come at night?"

The little girl had tears in her eyes when Relena had ended the song. "That was beautiful, but it was also so sad. I love it!!!" she said breathlessly.
"Why, thank you, Small Mistress, I'm glad you enjoyed my singing."
Rosabelle looked at her silently for a moment. Then she spoke, "Miss Relena, would do me a favour?"
"Sure. What can I do for you?"
"Would you please stop calling me "Small Mistress"? I hate it when people call me that! It makes me sound so grown up, but I'm only five! I want to be your friend, not own you! Please, just call me "Rosabelle."
Relena was once again, surprised by this child. "Is…that permitted? I don't think I should," she said tentatively.
"It's not really allowed, but look at it this way: I'm the Small Mistress, right? And anything I say, goes, am I correct? Therefore, I order you to quit calling me "Small Mistress" or else."
Relena chuckled, realizing she was beat. "Since you put it that way, then Rosabelle it is, but only if you drop the "Miss Relena" act. Relena would do just fine."
"It's a deal!" grinned Rosabelle, giving Relena a hug. "Oh, how I wish I had a sister I could talk to and to share things with. But instead I'm stuck with two idiot brothers who tease a make fun of me all the time," she complained.
Relena frowned. 'Don't use the word "idiot", Rosabelle." 'How do kids learn these words these days?'
"Well, that's what they are! They're no fun at all!!!" protested Rosabelle. Then she brightened as a light bulb went off in her head. "Hey, I know! I'll just trade Mark and Heero for you! You could be my sister! I've always wanted a sister like you. You could play with me and we could do stuff together!" Her eyes were shining with excitement.
"I don't think I could be your sister," she began, and the face of the little girl fell, "but I can be your friend. We can still play games, or I can sing for you, anything you want when I have free time. We'll be just like sisters, is that all right with you?" recovered Relena.
Rosabelle fell silent for a moment, and then beamed, "I have a new friend!!! Yay!" she cheered. Then, standing up she said bleakly "Relena, I've got to go now, but I'll be back as soon as I can!" She waved and left.
Relena waved after her and smiled to herself. 'What a sweet child! And so wise for her age too! Now wouldn't it be wonderful if her whole family were like her?' She sighed and sauntered over to the window and gazed out from it, leaning on the windowsill. The view wasn't magnificent, but at least it was a view. She was lucky to even have a window because most of the servant rooms didn't. 'What a vast and beautiful flower garden! It has so many varieties too. There are roses, violets, daises, and so much more! Oh, how I would love to visit it someday. Maybe I can get Hilde to show me the flowers…'
She was so caught up in admiring the flowers that she didn't notice when a figure appeared in the doorway.
"Ahem," said a deep, monotonous voice behind her.
Relena froze and turned abruptly to face her speaker. She gasped. "Master Heero! How ling have you been here? What are you doing here?" she asked, shocked. No sooner had she said that, she realized her mistake. She gasped again, hands flying over her mouth to prevent her from speaking again, and fell to her knees.
Heero, guiltier than ever now, walked up to Relena and reached out his hands to help her up.
Relena, bewildered by his actions, stood.
Then, he explained, "Relena, there is no such a rule. I made it up. I know I went too far, and I know I should never have slapped you, but…I couldn't control myself. It happened so fast and, well, all I want to say is…I'm sorry," he said, earnestly.
It took a minute for all this to sink in. 'Now he's apologizing to me?' she asked herself silently. "I…I accept your apology, Master Heero, but why did you lie to me in the first place?" she questioned him.
He blinked. "I…I…" he stammered. 'What now? I can't tell her the truth, that I was frightened.' "It is not your place to ask questions. If I choose to tell you, then I will, but I choose not to. End of discussion," he said sternly.
The hope in her eyes disappeared and was replaced with fright once again. She backed away from him and stared at the ground. "I understand, Sir," she said, quietly.
Heero wanted to punch himself. He came here to apologize and he blew it. 'Way to go, Heero,' he thought sarcastically to himself. Depressed and angry with himself, he absently stuck his hands into his pockets and felt a small container. He took it out to examine it and brightened up when he recognized what it was. He had almost forgotten the apology gift he had gotten her!
Without saying another word, he grabbed her hand and dragged her to the nearest chair. "Sit," he ordered.
She did as she was told, without question, though she was rather confused.
He then crouched down so that his face was level to hers. Relena shot him a panicked look, but Heero looked back at her with reassuring eyes. He proceeded in opening the container. Inside, was a sort of cream, white in colour, with no distinctive odour. Heero scooped up a bit of the cream with his index and middle fingers and…rubbed it on Relena's sore cheek! You could just imagine the expression on that girl's face! She was so shocked that she couldn't even move or protest, but just sit there like statue and let him apply the medication! She was so embarrassed that she blushed crimson.
Heero continued to massage her cheek, spreading the cream thoroughly and evenly. He tried to be as gentle as he could, which wasn't very gentle since he had always been taught to do things aggressively.
She winced under his touch.
"Sorry," he mumbled and lowered the pressure, "This cream should help the swelling and prevent any bruises. Use it again tomorrow morning if it still hurts." He finished with the cream, sealed the container shut, and handed it over to Relena. Their eyes met and locked for a split second before Relena broke the gaze by taking the medication graciously and thanking him for his efforts.
Heero stood to leave, but not without turning back to give her one more warning," Remember, don't speak to anyone with that tone of voice ever again. Consider yourself lucky, since it was only me, but if you had an outburst like that in front of father…" his voice trailed off, "who knows what he might have done. Watch out, Relena." He walked out, leaving her mystified.
'I don't know what to think anymore. One minute, he's cold and bitter, the next he's warm and kind-hearted, and then back again.' She looked down at the container in her hands and gently felt the cheek he had touched. 'Well, at least now I know that he does have a conscience!'

Two weeks passed by and Relena's life was going perfectly. Mark always treated her kindly. He always gave her light and easy tasks to do, as if she was a fragile porcelain doll. He made her do things like running an errand or folding the laundry, but never long and tiresome chores like cleaning and dusting. Relena liked working for Mark and Mark seemed to like her more and more everyday too.
Over the weeks, Relena and Rosabelle got to know each other better and became really close friends, almost like sisters. Rosabelle had told her mother of the condition of Relena's room and it was fixed up immediately, including the bed. When time permitted, Relena would sometimes join Rosabelle in the flower garden for a game of tag or hide-and-seek, enjoying the fresh air and fun.
Everyone loved Relena, loved her songs, her kindness, her nature… everyone except one person. Yup, you guessed it, Heero. He still didn't trust her enough to let her off the hook. He watched her every movement everyday in secret. Relena avoided any possible confrontation with him, although she couldn't stop thinking about him and the sensation she felt when he touched her skin.
On a beautiful, sunny day, Relena didn't have any chores to do, since Mark was out somewhere. Once Rosabelle had found out that her friend was free for the day, there was no stopping her. She practically dragged Relena outside to play!
Standing on a balcony, high above, the ever-so-suspicious Heero Yuy positioned himself, watching his target like a hawk. He was starting to doubt his theory. 'Maybe I was wrong. She doesn't look like a spy nor does she act like one, and she actually saved me two weeks ago. No spy would do that! Maybe I should just leave her alone. But, why do I feel the need to continue watching her? Not for my suspicions, but for…protection?' his brow furrowed as that thought appeared out of nowhere, 'Protection? Where'd that come from? Protection from what?'
He couldn't answer his own question, because the next thing he knew, a fist was flying fast towards him. But this time, Heero was aware of Duo's presence and grabbed his fist, stopping his assault halfway, and twisted Duo's arm harshly behind his back.
"Ow, ow, ow, ow!!! I give up!! Leggo!" wailed a helpless Duo.
Smirking victoriously, Heero released his victim, "I told you, you would regret making that bet, servant."
"For a week," muttered Duo, examining his arm, "Ow! I think you broke it."
"I can fix that," offered Heero. There was something about the way he said it that was just…well, sinister.
"NO!!!" yelled Duo, remembering the time when Heero pulled his own leg back together, "Hell, no!!! Look, what do ya know, it's better already, see?" he demonstrated by waving his arm up and down.
"Thought so," mused Heero.
"Anyway, Heero," said Duo, casually changing the subject, "Whatcha doin' over here? Why were you staring dreamily outside?" He took a peek outside himself, "Oh… I get it! You like Relena, don't you?" he asked, giving his friend a wink.
"What?! No. I have no such emotions whatsoever," he proclaimed indifferently, but he felt himself starting to burn up inside.
"Then why do you always look at her so attentively," questioned Duo, making it quite clear that he knew what Heero had been doing the past weeks.
Heero paled and replied, "I'm just making sure she's not a spy."
Duo rolled his eyes. "I've seen the way you look at her and I know there's more than meets the eye. Whether you admit it or not, I know you have a thing for Relena. So, you just keep on denying it, but it will show sooner or later," said Duo, smiling mischievously.
"Don't make me repeat myself, I don't, nor will I ever, like Relena!" he snarled dangerously.
Duo ignored his tone. "You keep telling yourself that, but it's not what your heart says, is it?"
Heero didn't answer.
"I thought so," grinned Duo, getting even with Heero. "Listen, buddy, I've gotta go. Think about it, Heero. It's okay to loosen up once in a while, and it's perfectly fine to loose the Mr-Tough-Guy image and attitude," informed Duo, heading for the door.
"Duo?" said Heero with a slight tone of humour in his voice, but anyone could tell he was dead serious. "If anyone, especially Relena, finds out about this, I'll see to it that you die at my hands," he growled.
Duo gulped and nodded, then hurried out the door. Looks like Heero got the last laugh after all.
Heero turned back to Relena and his little sister. The two girls were running around, chasing each other outside, giggling uncontrollably.
For some reason, Heero couldn't stop thinking about Relena. Every time he saw her, his heart started to pound faster and louder, and his palms felt sweaty. He felt warm and fuzzy inside every time she smiled. Every song she had sung was imprinted in his brain, for he just couldn't forget her enchanting and melodic voice.
Suddenly, his eyes grew large in realization and he let out a small gasp. 'Oh my God! Can it be true? Can I really be falling in love with Relena?' he wondered. He examined all the evidence and signs. Every thing seemed point to that conclusion. He sighed, finally accepting the truth, 'Not falling in love, already in love, since the first time I saw her.'
Then, another thought struck him. 'Could the new feelings I feel towards Mark be…jealousy? Could I be jealous of Mark?'
He had to admit, he was a bit startled by these new emotions. 'I don't know what I should do now, but I do know something. I must keep watch over her and protect her from anything that might happen. And I do not intend on failing this mission.' (A.N. Okay, everyone, the next scene deals with rape. Stop reading if you're uncomfortable with the subject.)

It was ten o'clock that night, and four young women were standing patiently in Mark's bedroom. One of them was Relena and the other three were also servants of Master Mark. There was Elaine and Teresa, who were both fourteen, and Sarah, who was thirteen. The four of them were standing there because Master Mark had not returned, and as a general rule, servants cannot sleep unless their master had gone to bed first. So, they waited.
Two hours passed, it is now twelve. Master Mark was still away. The four girls were still waiting, but not so patiently any more.
"Where is he?" whined Sarah, yawning.
"Yeah, why the heck is he so late?" added Teresa.
"Maybe we should tell the Master and Mistress," suggested Elaine.
"No, I don't think we should. I'm sure he has a reason. We should just keep waiting," said Relena, stifling a yawn herself.
"But, I'm so tired! I want to sleep now!" complained Sarah. The other two nodded in agreement.
Since Relena was the oldest, she felt that she should take charge. "Okay, you three can go and sleep. I'll keep waiting for Master Mark alone. If he questions, I'll say it was my fault," said Relena.
None of the girls moved. "Are you sure, Relena?" asked Elaine, concerned.
Relena nodded. "Positive. Now go."
Teresa smiled. "Thanks, Relena, you truly are a great friend. I owe you one for this," she said giving her a hug.
"Me too, thanks, Rel!" chorused Elaine and Sarah.
"Yeah, I'd say you owe me big time!" replied Relena, only half jokingly.
The three left and Relena continued to wait for their master by herself in the big, lonely room. She waited, and waited, and waited, all the while trying to prevent herself from nodding of to sleep. Until finally, at around two thirty in the morning, Mark stumbled into the room, drunk. He was mumbling some kind of incomprehensible speech.
"Master Mark!" Relena exclaimed, worriedly, "Where have you been? Why are you so late? What happened?" She quickly rushed over to support him.
He pushed her away, insisting that he could still walk straight, but he was actually tripping over his own feet. "I *hiccup* was at this *burp* bar with my *belch* friends, and they *cough* kept making me drink with them," he told her, barely able to speak.
"You shouldn't have done that. If the Mistress found out, she would have been so worried and angry," said Relena, frowning.
Mark ignored her and continued to babble nonsense. "Did you know…the sky is blue? And the grass is green?"
Relena just shook her head in disgust. "You're drunk, Master Mark. Here, let me help you get to bed," she offered, taking his arm.
Mark didn't move. Instead, he grabbed her arm and spun her around to face him. "To bed, eh? Not a bad idea. Will you be joining me?" he asked her slyly, wiggling his eyebrows.
Relena backed away, fanning the air in front of her nose because Mark's breath reeked of alcohol. "I'm afraid I don't understand," she flustered, frightened by his strong advance. She decided it would be best if she left. "Excuse me, but I think I should leave now. It's late and I'm tired."
He blocked her from going any further. "What's the rush? Don't want to stay with me anymore?" he asked her in a hurt tone of voice. He shrugged it off, "Well, it doesn't matter 'cause from now on, you'll be staying with me for a long time, so get used to it. Now, how about giving me a little kiss?" He leaned forward to kiss her, but she backed away again, causing him to fall forward, right on top of Relena!
Startled and mortified by her current position, Relena struggled to get up, but he wouldn't let her. "What are you going to do?" she asked frantically.
Mark didn't answer and stared longingly into her eyes, gently stroking her face. "Oh, you're so beautiful, so lovely, so gorgeous. I want you so badly, but why don't you want me?" he asked, cupping her chin with his hand.
Relena was astonished. She had no idea that Master Mark had these feelings for her. Or did she…? He always treated her kindly, with respect, and never abused her. Furthermore, she seemed to get special treatment from Mark since she was never told to do the chores that Elaine, Teresa, or Sarah had to do. 'Could this mean that he wanted me to be more than just a serving girl?' she thought. She was so frightened that she couldn't even move.
Mark's eyes darkened. "I know why. You like someone else, don't you? Who? Answer me!" he accused, squeezing her chin ruthlessly.
She grimaced under his grip and stuttered, "N-n-no one, Sir. I don't know what you're talking about. Please, stop it!" She tried to pry his hands off her chin, but it was no use.
His eyes darkened even more as he made more false accusations. "I'll bet it's…Heero! It is him, isn't it? Why that little weasel of a brother! He's always taking what's rightfully mine! Even when we were young, he managed to steal my belongings, and mother always took his side because he was "younger." Oh, I hate that bastard!!! He thinks he's so much better than me just because he went to "military school", he thinks he can have whatever he wants. Well, not anymore, because now I'm gonna take what he loves…you." With that last word, he rose from the floor, yanking Relena up harshly by the wrist, and dragging her across the room.
"Master Mark! Stop!! What are you doing?! Somebody, HELLLLL…..," screamed Relena, but before she could finish, a hand instantly covered her mouth, muffling the sound. She fought to loosen his grasp, on her wrist and over her mouth.
He dragged her to his bed and flung her brutally on to it. He then started undoing his shirt, one button at a time.
Relena, panicking, tried to reason with him again, "Please, Master Mark, let me go, I beg you. You don't know what you're doing! Please…" But Mark wasn't listening. As soon as the last button was undone, he climbed on the bed, on top of Relena.
Before she could scream "Help," he pressed his lips down on hers, hard.
Terrified, she strived to push him off, but her hands held down his' and her body was pinned. She tried to break his kiss, but wherever her head twisted and turned, he would follow. It was useless, no matter how hard she tried; she just wasn't strong enough to break free from his weight. Tears streamed down her eyes, as she gave him a pleading look.
But, of course, he was too busy to notice. He continued to kiss the helpless girl until he felt her grow weaker. She was tiring from struggling and now was his chance. Keeping the kiss, he skilfully restrained her arms with his legs, so that his own were free. Steadily, he brought his hands up to her shoulders and to the straps of her dress. He started to slowly slide them off.
Relena realized his intentions and regaining a bit of strength, she began to thrash about again, screaming for him to stop.
Because of her sudden movement, he accidentally ripped one of the straps of her dress all the way down. 'Why didn't I think of this sooner! This will be much more efficient,' he thought, tearing the other strap.
Relena was petrified. She attempted to free her hands so that she could cover herself, but he wouldn't budge. She tried over and over again to get him to stop, but it was hopeless. He was in his own world. She felt herself weaken, as she watched in horror as Mark relentlessly tore her dress apart.
By the time he was down to her undergarments, she was so weak and tired that she could barely move or speak. When Mark was assured that her strength had faded away, he released her lips that were still captive in his. She instantly stated to cough and gasp for air.
Quickly, Mark searched for a handkerchief and stuffed it into her mouth to keep her from screaming out loud.
She tried to spit it out, but it failed. She would have pulled it out, but her hands were still pinned. Struggling was still futile, plus her energy seemed to have disappeared. Powerless and vulnerable, she gave in; laying still for him to do whatever he desired to her body. Tears flowed down her eyes at the thought of what was going to happen to her.
Idly, she felt his hands searching her body, reaching lower and lower until he reached his destination: her underpants. He took hold of the two sides, but before he could start pulling them off, he just abruptly collapsed!
Relena jumped at the sudden increase of the load, realizing that Mark had been knocked out cold. Relieved and thankful, she wondered what happened to him. She eyed a figure standing behind Mark, but she couldn't recognize who it was since her vision was blurred from her tears. Also, she felt so feeble that she couldn't even see properly.
She felt Mark being removed off her body and replaced by a blanket to cover the skin that was showing. She then felt her head being raised to rest on a strong arm that cradled her. Carefully, the handkerchief was taken out and right away, Relena began to cough, gasp, choke, and wheeze hysterically. The mysterious person gently patted and rubbed her back to calm her down.
Relena was determined to identify her rescuer, so that she could at least thank and repay whoever it was. Using her last ounce of strength, she managed to identify her saviour and murmur out his name, "Heero…" before fainting into his strong, warm arms.

Author's note: I feel so sorry for Relena, but wait and see, things will start to look up in the next chapter. I promised to make Heero nicer and I did. But now his brother is worse! See what Heero's gonna do to Mark in the next chapter. But that's all for now!
(Oh yeah, the song "Lucky" ain't mine. I'm just borrowing it for this chapter. For those who don't know, it's belongs to Britney Spears.)